Restless Legs Syndrome Resolving With Parathyroidectomy: A Case Report

We present a case of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism that was successfully managed with minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. RLS is a poorly understood movement disorder that is thought to be both idiopathic and secondary to underlying problems including anemia, iron deficiency, chronic kidney disease, pregnancy, and medications. Primary hyperparathyroidism is another condition that may contribute to RLS. An 81-year-old woman who was being treated medically for RLS was found to have primary hyperparathyroidism due to a parathyroid adenoma. Within two days of surgical resection of the adenoma, she was no longer experiencing symptoms of RLS and stopped taking her medications. Evaluation for primary hyperparathyroidism should be considered when working up RLS as surgical treatment may provide symptomatic relief.